


When In The City

by JugWithBetty



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Falling In Love, Fine Arts, Friendship, Love, New York City, Relationship(s), Riverdale
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-11
Updated: 2017-10-01
Packaged: 2018-12-26 08:51:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12055500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JugWithBetty/pseuds/JugWithBetty
Summary: Betty Cooper is new to the New York City scene. Coming to escape her past and grow her writing, she discovers something unexpected, a boy named Jughead Jones.





	1. Chapter 1

Betty wasn't so sure what to think when the New York Skyline appeared within her sight. She had a dream, and was attempting to peruse it, but for a small town girl from upstate New York, it might be harder than she envisioned. After all, many of the kids she would soon call her classmates came from all sorts of famous places: Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and even London. She wouldn't compare, she thought, hoping to be slightly wrong.

As the Coopers entered Manhattan, Betty began to question to enrollment at the New York Fine Arts Academy. As much as she begged to her parents to allow her to study here during her senior year, she was worried that all of their concerns would come true. What if you get homesick? What if you feel left out? What if the campus is unsafe? What if something happens to you? What if you aren't good enough? The last worry replayed in her head everyday since then. The fact that her own family didn't even believe in her and still sent her away made her feel worthless. Maybe she came to improve her writing, or maybe she came to prove them wrong.

\--------

Dear Diary,  
Today is the day I finally move to NYC to go to school at the New York Fine Arts Academy. I'm both nervous, yet so excited. But nervous. Really nervous. I'm nervous that my roommate will be some type of stuck up, spoiled, entitled, rich girl from the city. I'm nervous that there will be no normal writers. I'm nervous I won't make any friends. I'm nervous that I'm not good enough, thanks to Mom and Dad. But I'm excited. I'm excited to live in the city. I'm excited to be taught by professionals. I'm excited to (hopefully) publish something. I'm excited to prove Mom and Dad wrong. And finally, I'm excited to be able to have a fresh start from the boys in Riverdale, and all the drama I dealt with. Hopefully, they will see my name on the Best Sellers List, wishing they hadn't treated me like shit. The city awaits!  
-BC

\-------

The Coopers arrived to the school just before check in ended. Betty, already anxious, began to pace. She knew her roommate would already be in their room, forcing her to interact with her instantaneously. And worst of all, meet her parents.

Things began to look on the bright side as Betty received her schedule. Everything assigned to her was a class she wished for, even an advanced class, designed for students who have completed more than two years at the school. She was shocked to get in, especially since she didn't even apply until a few months before school started, probably the latest application. 

Betty began to find her information about her dorm. She was in Lodge Hall, on the top floor. Great, she thought. Aside from new situations, heights were one of Betty's biggest fears, go figure. 

While her parents continued filling out parental forms and emergency information, Betty figured it'd be smarter to meet her roommate before the wrath of the Coopers entered. She didn't want to be judged based off of her family's crazy antics. 

The twelfth floor was a co-ed floor, one of the few on the campus. The idea of tons of talented and art-appreciating boys wandering around gave her butterflies, but the fear of what happened in Riverdale still haunted her. 

Room 201 was open. She peeked in, seeing half of what looked like a professionally designed dorm. Hopefully her plain white comforter would cut it. 

"Uh, hello?" Betty asked, hoping her roommate would introduce herself. Sure enough, a beautiful girl turned around, rocking her designer outfit topped with a pearl necklace.

"Hey cutie! I'm Veronica Lodge! And you are?" Veronica asked.  
"I'm uh Betty Cooper. And Lodge as in Lodge Hall?" she asked.

"Yep, that's Daddy. One of the schools favorite donors!" she said. Great. Exactly what Betty wanted to avoid.

Before she could say another word, her parents barged into the room.

"Oh wow," her mom, Alice, said. "Look at this room. Cramped, but cute."

"Thanks!" Veronica chirped. "Nothing but the best here. I'm Veronica Lodge." She held out a hand to Mrs. Cooper, who was slightly shocked by the friendliness of her daughter's new suitemate. 

"Hi Veronica. Nice to meet you. I'm Alice Cooper and this is my husband Hal."

After a few exchanges of hellos, Veronica left to get the rest of her belongings. Meanwhile, the Coopers helped Betty unload what few items she had.

"Mom, I feel really unprepared. I didn't realize this was like college," she said.

"It's not," Mrs. Cooper said, rolling her eyes. "This Lodge girl is just spoiled because of her dad, Hiram."

"Hiram? Mom do you know her family?" Betty asked.

"Why of course, you do realize what he's done to small towns like ours?" Mrs. Cooper said.

Betty gave her mom a confused look as her dad chimed in.

"He's the reason we lost the drive in. He's known for purchasing land all over New York towns and making them into his own industrial projects. Like this very tower. Be careful, you don't know what kind of daughter he's raised."

\------  
New York hadn't been anything like Betty's parents described it to her. She absolutely loved it. And Veronica. Even if her parents didn't approve, Veronica served as a real friend to Betty. They had only known each a day, but Veronica had be kind to Betty. She also filled her in on the social scene, and most importantly, students.

"The go-to bitch here is Cheryl. She studies acting, so drama is a second nature to her. Lucky for me I get to spend all day with her," Veronica said.

"So are you friends?" Betty asked.  
�"Cue sarcasm! I try to avoid confrontations but we often battle for head of the class. What she lacks is the upper east side blood like me," Veronica said.

"Doesn't sound like my kind of gal. So who are you friends with?" Betty asked.

"Kevin Keller is my best gay, straight out of California. Him and I soar great heights above the rest of our acting peers. Josie McCoy and her friends Val and Melody, also known as Josie and the Pussycats, are pretty much local celebrities," Veronica said, being interrupted by the bell. "Off to class! I know you'll love it!"

As Betty walked to her first class, writing 101, she didn't know what to expect. The size of this class was supposed to be bigger than some of her electives, so she was hoping she would make one friend.

When she entered the hall, she realized this might be harder than she thought. The room had probably 100 kids. Most kids were already sitting in a desk near a group of friends. The teacher was quietly waiting for the bell to ring in a minute. She could tell he would begin the second the clock struck nine and had to be in a seat. Scanning the crowd, she found only one empty seat, next to a boy with a crown shaped beanie. In fact, no one was on either side of him.

Betty sat down next to the mysterious boy. He was typing away on his laptop, swiping a single dark curl out of his face as it constantly got in his way. She wanted to see what he was typing so intensely about, but felt rude asking. He must've sensed her staring as he began looking at her, slightly annoyed. Betty, realizing he had caught her decided to introduce herself.

"Oh I'm sorry for looking. I'm Betty Cooper. I'm new here from upstate this year. And you are?"

"Jughead Jones."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the delay in posting, I have been so busy with school but am hoping to get on a more regular schedule. Enjoy!

Jughead Jones was a mystery. No one knew where he was from, or anything about his personal life. People only knew what they saw, a boy in a crown beanie, attached to his laptop. They did not care to learn more, they just left him to himself, and he liked it that way. That was, until Betty Cooper sat next to him in Writing 101. 

 

It was the first time someone had sat next to him in all of his years at the NYFAC. He figured it was because there were no seats left. But this was different. Betty was nice to him. She started conversations with him. 

 

And the most surprising thing? Betty continued sitting next to him, every day, even when other seats were available. Jughead found this hard to adjust to. Someone was actually interacting with him. He wasn't a social guy, usually preferring to type away on his computer. Betty respected that. If he was typing, she would say a quick "Hi Jug," and let him go back to his business. She found it comforting, to have a friend in this class, and he did as well. They helped one another by being in each other's presence. 

 

One day, things began to change when a project was assigned in their class. 

 

"You will be traveling around the city, and have to find stories of people you see. Each story will be created into a non-fiction piece. The catch-you have to write with someone else in the class, your choice who," their teacher said. 

 

At first, Jughead was frustrated. He had a specific process of writing he had taken years to perfect. And it was special to him. He hated sharing his work with anyone, he preferred keeping it for himself. He was certainly thrown out of his comfort zone, but it meant he would be able to figure out Betty Cooper. 

 

The minute Betty sat down next to him on the first day, he knew she was different. She wasn't a stuck up girl, like most at the school. She was genuine and curious, and actually talked to him. In addition, he couldn't resist her beautiful blonde hair. Jughead felt different about Betty than other girls. He usually wouldn't care about them, let alone be attracted to them. But Jughead was in deep with her. She was perfect. After all, she was a beautiful writer. And little did she know, he was the topic of his next story. 

 

"Hey uh Betty?" Jughead asked. 

 

"Hey Jug! What's up?" she said as they exited the hall. 

 

"I was wondering if you would want to be my partner for this project? You're pretty much the only person who's talked to me all year, so it'd only be fit if we could write together too." he asked. 

 

"Yes, of course! I was hoping you'd ask!" she replied. 

 

Jughead was relieved. Despite her seating choice, outside of class, they had not talked once. Usually, Betty spent time with Veronica Lodge and her clique: Kevin Keller, Josie McCoy, and his old best friend, Archie Andrews. Each day across the cafeteria, Jughead watched the group, and watched Betty fall head over heels for Archie, which was anything but uncommon. For once, Jughead would emerge from the shadows, and see the inside with his own two eyes. 

 

"Well aren't I lucky," Jughead replied. "I was thinking we could meet in the dining hall later and discuss how we want to do the project?" 

 

"Um..ya that will work. Meet at 6?" Betty replied. 

 

"That'll work, see you then." 

 

\------ 

 

"Veronica, what do you know about Jughead Jones?" Betty asked her roommate. 

 

"Jughead Jones? Nothing, literally nothing, and I've been going to school with him since 6th grade," she replied. "Why? Oh my god! Do you have a thing for the mystery boy? This is so fun! We can be detectives and figure him out!" 

 

"Slow down Ronnie. We're just partners for a project," Betty replied. 

 

"How were these partners paired?" she asked, grinning. 

 

"By choice, kind of. I have just been sitting by him everyday and we have occasional back and forth conversation, so it made sense," Betty answered. 

 

"Wait, he talks? No way." 

 

"Not that much, but enough to ask me to be partners," Betty said. 

 

"Hold up, you're telling me he asked you?" Veronica asked. 

 

Betty blushed and nodded in response. 

 

"Girl, that Jones boy has the hots for you. Like I said, I've gone to school with him for 6 years. And not once has he said a word to me, or any other girl for that matter. This is wild. I have to tell Archie, he won't believe it!" Veronica said. 

 

"No hold up," Betty said. "Did something go down between the two, because I'm pretty sure it did." 

 

"Well, by something, do you mean a dramatic best friend breakup? Because no. They just had creative differences. Archie is a stud, we all know that, and Jughead couldn't keep up with him socially. They went their separate ways, a tragic best friend ending if you ask me," Veronica said. 

 

"Exactly, so don't you think it's a bad idea to tell him?" Betty asked. 

 

"Oh honey, no. A little gossip never hurt anyone." 

 

\----- 

 

That night, Betty sat on the opposite end of the dining hall. Jughead was, like Veronica said, not social. He sat alone everyday in the corner. Betty didn't realize how much better of a view the corner had. She could see everything: the city from out the window, all of the food options, her table, and as she looked that way, she made awkward eye contact with Archie. He rolled his eyes in return. 

 

"So…Jug, any ideas for the project?" Betty asked. 

 

"I mean, I'm full of ideas," he said chuckling. "But I want your opinion to be heard." 

 

"Honestly, I'm clueless. You always seem to be so intently writing, I feel like you're qualified to take charge," Betty said. 

 

"Well, I was thinking of getting the stories of people we don't hear from as much. Everyone at this school is so tuned in with the arts, so they're going straight to Broadway. But what about the people who you see everyday and don't hear from. The struggling. The men, woman, and children you see walking down every street. The people you see at night, huddled in the doorways of closed buildings, covered in newspaper serving as their blankets. These are the people of New York. New York is their home, even if they don't have one, so what if we hear from them their story, because it is far more important than another wannabe celebrity, like everyone else at this school," he said. 

 

Betty was shocked. His passion was so strong. Jughead genuinely cared about the people of New York, unlike everyone else at this school, and Betty was all over his idea. 

 

"Wow," she said. "I think that's amazing. How'd you come up with that idea?" 

 

"Um.. Reasons," he replied nervously. 

 

"Well I love it. When do you propose we start?" Betty asked. 

 

"I was thinking maybe this weekend?" he replied. 

 

It was Monday, so Jughead had some time to prepare. Not only was it their first project together, but Betty was new to the city. He was hoping to show her around and to his favorite spots, which happened to be some of the most romantic. Jughead was not one to force anything upon anyone, so he was hoping this wouldn't be too much. 

 

"Perfect!" Betty said. 

 

\----- 

 

That night after dinner, Veronica immediately came to her dorm to hound Betty about her date. Even though she was consistently spying on Betty and Jughead during their meal, she wanted to hear everything they talked about. 

 

Like anticipated, Betty was waiting on her bed. She was researching various places in New York to prepare for the project. After all, she did not want to seem clueless while working on a project with someone who knew the city so well. 

 

"So how was it?" Veronica asked. 

 

"How was what?" Betty asked back, confused about what Veronica was talking about. 

 

"What do you mean what. Your date with Jughead Jones, of course," Veronica said. 

 

"Date? Oh no, I don't think you realized. It was to discuss our plan for a school project." 

 

"Hm. A school project where you chose partners? Sounds like a date to me." 

 

"Veronica, believe me, nothing even close to date-like was said." 

 

"Then what was?" 

 

"We just talked about how we want to do our project, and he suggested we focus on the unknown people of the city. So this weekend, we're going to find some homeless families and find out their stories," Betty said, not realizing how passionately she was talking. 

 

"He's so into you, I can't believe it," Veronica said. 

 

"Ronnie, stop! He is not. Why would you think that?" Betty asked. 

 

"Like I said, Jughead Jones and I go way back, and his name is the only thing I know about. And now, you show up and he's talking to you, and socializing. Also, I may or may not have been staring at you two tonight. He couldn't stop checking you out. Swoon!" 

 

"You really think so?" Betty asked, being interrupted by a knock on the door. "I got it." 

 

Betty opened the door to find Archie waiting with a smile. "Betty, hi!"he said. 

 

"Um hi. Not to be rude but what are you doing here?" She asked. 

 

"You do realize I live on this floor. I actually came by to talk to you, do you have a minute?" He asked. 

 

Betty was not so sure about the situation. Although Archie was one of Veronica's friends who sat with her everyday at dinner, she did not know him well, and frankly, didn't like him much. Sure, he was so cute, but he was a typical douche. He played nice, planned to seduce you, and moved on, and Betty was not going to fall into that trap. Especially after seeing it play out in Riverdale. She walked out of her room, looking at Veronica confused. Veronica reciprocated look and watched Betty leave with Archie. 

 

"Listen, Betty, I noticed tonight at dinner that you aren't sitting with us anymore to be with Jughead," he said. 

 

"Oh, Arch, you don't understand we-" 

 

Archie cut Betty off, adding "No I get it. You like him. He's not an ugly guy or anything, I just wanted to warn you." 

 

"About?" 

 

"I used to be BEST friends with Jughead. Like since we were kids. I'm not going to say why, but he's not your type, I can tell," he said. 

 

"You've known me for a few days, how the hell are you supposed to know my type," Betty said, immediately turning around to go back in her room. Before she could get in, Archie grabbed both of her shoulders, facing her towards him. 

 

"Because, Betty, you're my type," Archie said, pulling her into a kiss, not realizing they were not alone in the hallway. 

 

Jughead, turned into the hallway, immediately greeted by their kiss. Flowers for Betty in hand, he turned around, embarrassed, and ran back to his room before either of them could see him. How could he think he had a shot with Betty when Archie was just a few dorms away. Jughead Jones, he thought, you are an idiot. 

 

What he didn't see was Betty's reaction after pulling away. 

 

"What the fuck do you think you're doing," Betty shouted. 

 

"Oh come on babe, try to tell me honestly you didn’t enjoy that. I bet you can't," he said, getting ready to pull her back in for more. 

 

"I'll tell you what I enjoyed, THIS," Betty said, slapping him and running into her room, beginning to breathe faster and panic. 

 

"Woah B, what happened there?" Veronica asked.


End file.
